Swivel rope connector



May 29, 1962 F. A. Roo'r swIvEL ROPE CONNECTOR Filed April 22, 1960 INVEN TOR.

United States atent 3,@365l Patented May 29, 1962 3,036,351 SWIVEL ROPECGNNECTOR Fred A. Root, Box 293, Valdez, Alaska Filed Apr. 22, 1960,Ser. No. 24,141 6 Claims. (Cl. 24-123) This invention relates to a novelswivel rope connector. The primary object of the invention is to providea simple, reliable, and rugged device of the kind indicated, whosecomponents are quickly and easily engageable and Y disengageable, forconnecting and disconnecting rope ends, and which cannot becomedisengaged from each -other under strain less than the breaking strainof the device.

` Another object of the invention is to provide a device of thecharacter indicated above, which is composed of a body on vwhose endsare separably mounted swivel eye end members tov which rope'ends aresecurable, the body andthe end members having cooperating releasabledetent meanswhich are releasable only'by forcing the end 'members towardthe body and rotating the end members V'poses of illustration only, aspecic form of the invention is set forth in detail. In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a device of the invention, with ropessecured to its end members, one of the end members being shown separatedfrom the body;

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal section through the device, with portionsbroken away, and showing one of the end members fully vengaged with thebody and the other end member partially engaged with the body;

FIGURE 3 is a transverse section taken on the line `3- 3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal section taken through the deviceand showing an end member in process lof being disengaged from the body;and,

FIGURE 5 is a transverse section showing an end member rotated relativeto the body with the locking tongues cammed out of their lockingnotches. Y

Referring in detail tothe drawings, wherein like numerals designate likeparts throughout the several views, the frillustrated device Vcomprisesa body in the form of an elongated cylindrical sleeve lll` of resilientmetal, such Vas spring'bronze or the like, or Vof plastic, having asidewall 12, and open first and second ends 14 and 16.

The plugs 22, 24 are similar and interchangeable, and comprisepreferably solid cylindrical bodies 26 of diameters to have a sliding tin the ends of the sleeve 10, and of lengths such that the squared innerends 28 of the bodies 26 are spaced from each other, at the middle ofthe sleeve when the plugs are engaged in and secured in theends of thesleeve 1G. The bodies 26 have axial bores extending therethrough whichare composed of relatively large diameter inner portions 30 and smallerdiameter outer portions 32, which define shoulders 34 therebetween.Swivel pins are engaged in the bores and have outer portions 36journalled in the outer bore portions 32, and inner portions 38yjournalled in the inner bore portionsppll, the inner pin portions 38having enlarged heads 4t) on their inner ends which are engaged 'inenlarged annular recesses 42 in the inner ends of the bodies 26,Suitably iixed, as indicated at 44, on the outer ends lof the outer pinportions 36 and rotatably bearing -against related ends of the connectorbody 10, are circular heads 46 of swivel rope eyes 48, through whichrope ends 50 are adapted to be engaged and secured, as indicated at 52.Knurled collars 13 are fixed on the outer ends of the bodies for use ashand grips in turning the plugs 22 and 24 relative to the sleeve 10, fordisenlgaging the plugs from the sleeve.

At locations intermediate the ends of the bodies *26 of -the plugs andspaced equidistantly therearound are similar lock notches 54 which havelongitudinally curved bottoms 56 which are angled longitudinallyinwardly and laterally inwardly relative to the axes of the bodies 26.The notches 54 have inner end surfaces 58 which are angledlongitudinally outwardly and laterally outwardly relative to the axes ofthe bodies and meet the inward ends of the notch bottoms 56, so as toprovide, in etect, hooks 60 at the inward ends of the notches. Further,

-as shown' in FIGURE 3, the notch bottoms 56 are transversely concavedand are preferably V-shaped, and have laterally outwardly divergentsides 62.

For lockably and releasably engaging the notches 54 vt0 lock the plugs22, 24 in related ends of the sleeve 20, 'the' sidewall 12 of the sleevenear the ends thereof is cut out to dene longitudinally elongated andlongitudinally inwardly extending spring locking tongues 66, and slotsV68 through which the tongues freely work, the tongues ybeing preferablyintegral at the longitudinally outward ends With the sleeve sidewall 12.

As shown in FIGURES 2 to 5,' the locking tongues 66 -have -at louter endportions 70 lwhich merge, at their nward ends, into longitudinally landlaterally inwardly curved inward end portions 72 which `are V-shaped andhave laterally outwardly divergent sides 74, `the crosssections of theV-shaped portions -being substantially similar to that of the V-shapedbottom-s 56 of the notches 54. As seen 4in FIGURE 2, the inner endportions 72 ofthe vtongues 66 are slightly shorter `than the notches S4and Vare of substantially the same longitudinal curvature as the @wardlyin-to yforcible engagement ywith the hooks 60, so that outward pull onthe rope ends 50 secured to the rope eyes 48 causes the notch endsurfaces 58 to act as cams and force the ltongue ends 76 deeper into thenotches, whereby the plugs are securely locked in the ends of the sleeve10.

In order to release the plugs from the sleeve 10 i-t is necessary tohold the sleeve 10 against both rotation and endwise movement, While`forcing the plugs into the sleeve, accompanied by slight rotation ofthe plugs relative to the sleeve, Such inward movement of the plugs, asshown in FIGURE 4, moves the notch end surfaces 58 or hooks 60 inwardlyaway from and off of the terminal ends 76 of the tongues 66, so that thetongues are freed to ex outwardly; land slight rotation of the plugsthen act-s to dislodge the V-shaped tongue end portions '72 fromconfor-ming engagement in the notch bottoms 56, wherein their sides 74were engaged with the notch sides 62, so that the `apices 73 climb upsides 62 of the notch bottoms and the tongues are flexed upwardly intotheir slots 68 and then ride upon the exteriors of the plug bodies 26,as shown in FIGURE 5, whereat the plugs can be easily pulled out of theends of the sleeve y1t).

To produce locking engagements of the plugs 22, 24 in the ends of thesleeve 10, the plugs are simply pushed into the ends of the sleeveVuntil the rope eye heads 46 approach the ends of the sleeve, whereatthe plugs are rotated until the tongues 66 snap into the notches 54 and3 then pushed further -inwardly to engage the inner end por-tions 72 ofthe tongues beneath the hooks 6i).

For the purpose of eliminating truant inward movements of the plugs inthe ends of the sleeve 10, such as might b-e produced by rough handlingof the connector device, under conditions of service, and which wouldotherwise disengage Vthe tongues 66 from the notches 54, a

resilient outwardly tensioned stop member is provided in the sleeve tobe forcibly engaged by the inner ends of the plugs. Such a stop membercan be as shown in FIGURES 2 and 4, a ball `80 of such as high-densityfoam rubber, which is larger in 'diameter than the space between theinner ends 2S ofthe plugs, when in their locked positions, and which isheld in place in the sleeve 10 by means of prongs S2 struck out of thesidewall 12 of the sleeve I10 and engaged in the ball 80. As shown inFIG- URES 2 and 4, the inner ends 2S of the plug bodies 26 preferablyhave axial recesses S4, opening to the recesses 42, into which relatedsides of the ball S0 can compress, for more secure engagement betweenthe ball and the plugs.

While there has been shown and described herein a vpreferred form of theinvention, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarilyconfined thereto, and that any change or changes in the structure of andin the relative arrangements of components thereof are contemplated asbeing within the scope of the invention as defined by the claimsappended hereto.

What is claimed is:

l. A swivel rope connector comprising a body having ends, swivel ropeconnecting plugs on Vthe ends of the body, and means releasablyconnecting said plugs on the ends of the body, said means comprisinginterengaged locking notches and locking spring tongues severally on theplugs and said body, said body being a sleeve having open ends, saidplugs having bodies slidably tting in the ends of the sleeve and havinginner ends spaced from each other, said notches being in the plug bodiesand said tongues being on the side wall of the sleeve, said notchesbeing longitudinally elongated and having longitudinally and laterallyinwardly angled bottoms `and having longitudinally and laterallyoutwardly angled cam surfaces at surfaces from said terminal ends androtated relative to the sleeve to cam the tongues out of the notches.

3. A swivel rope connector comprising a body having ends, swivel ropeconnecting plugs on the ends of the body, and means releasablyconnecting said plugs on the ends of the body, said means comprisinginterengaged locking notches and locking spring tongues severally on theplugs and said body, said body being a sleeve having open ends, saidplugs having bodies slidably fitting in the ends of the sleeve andhaving inner ends spaced from each other, said notches being in the plugbodies and said tongues being on the side wall of the sleeve, saidnotches being longitudinally elongated and having longitudinally andlaterally inwardly angled bottoms 4and having longitudinally andlaterally outwardly angled cam surfaces at their inner ends defininghooks, said tongues having outer ends'connected to the sleeve sidewall,said tongues comprising substantially straight outer end portions andlat- V"erally inwardly and longitudinally angled inner end portionsbearing upon the notch bottoms, said inner end portions of the tonguesterminating in laterally outwardly angled terminal ends vwhich bearlaterally outwardly against said cam surfaces, said notch bottoms beingindented and V-shaped and having laterally outwardly divergent sides,said inner end portions of the tongues being V-shaped and conformablyengaged in the notch bottoms and having -apices to ride on sides of thenotch bottoms and out of the notches when the plugs are pushed inwardlyin the sleeve to fdisengage the cam surfaces from the terminal ends ofthe tongues and rotated.

4. A swivel rope connector comprising a body having ends, swivel ropeconnecting plugs on the ends of the body, and means releasablyconnecting said plugs on the ends of the body, said means comprisinginterengaged locking notches and locking spring tongues severally on theplugs and said body, said body being a sleeve having open ends, saidplugs having bodies slidably fitting in the `ends of the sleeve andhaving inner ends spaced from each other, said notches being in the plugbodies and said .tongues being on the side wall of the sleeve, saidnotches being longitudinally elongated and having longitudinally andlaterally inwardly angled bottoms and having longitheir inner endsdelining hooks, said itongues having outer v ends connected to thesleeve sidewall, said tongues comprising substantially straight outerYendportions and lat- 'erally inwardly and longitudinally angled innerend portions bearing upon the notch bottoms, said inner end por- Y tionsVof the tongues terminating in laterally outwardlyY angled terminal endswhich bear laterally outwardly against said cam surfaces.

2. A swivel rope connector comprising a body having ends, swivel ropeconnecting plugs on the ends of the body, and means releasablyconnecting said plugs on the ends of the body, said means comprisinginterengaged loclting notches and locking spring tongues severally onthe ;plugs and said body, said body being a sleeve having open ends,said plugs having bodies slidably iitting in the ends of the sleeve andhaving inner ends spaced from each *,other, said notches being in theplug Vbodies and said tongues being on the side wall of the sleeve, saidnotches being longitudinally elongated and having longitudinally andlaterally inwardly angled bottoms and having longitudinally andlaterally outwardly angled cam surfaces at their inner ends defininghooks, said `ton-goes having outer ends connected to the sleevesidewall, said tongues cornprising substantially straight outer endportions and laterally inwardly and longitudinally angled `inner endportions bearing upon the notch bottoms, said inner end portions of thetongues terminating in laterally outwardly angled terminal ends whichbear laterally outwardly against said cam surfaces,-.said notch bottomsbeing transversely concave and said inner end portions of the tonguesbeing convex and having yapices to ride on the sides of Athe notchbottoms and out of the notches when thel plugs ,are pushed inwardly inthe sleeve to disengage the cam tudinally and laterally outwardly angledcam surfaces at their inner ends defining hooks, said tongues' havingouter ends connected to the sleeve sidewall, said tongues comprisingsubstantially straight outer end portions and laterally inwardly andlongitudinally angled inner end por-` tions bearing upon the notchbottoms, said inner end por- -tions of the tongues terminating inlaterally outwardly angled terminal ends which bear laterally outwardlyagainst said cam surfaces, longitudinally outward pulling lof the plugsrelative to the sleeve causing said cam surfaces to cam the terminalends laterally inwardly and push the tongues into the notches, pushingof the plugs into the sleeve serving to remove the cam surfaces from`the terminal ends of the tongues and enable rotation of the plugsrelative to the sleeve to cam the tongues out of the notches, andresilient stop means secured within the .sleeve with which the innerends of the plug bodies are compressively engaged and prevented frombeing vagrant ly pushed into the sleeve.

5. A swivel rope connector comprisingv a body having ends, swivel ropeconnecting plugs on the ends of the body, and means rcleasablyconnecting said plugs on the ends of the body, said means comprisinginterengaged a klocking notches and locking spring tongues severally on,the plugs and said body, said body being a sleeve having open ends,said plugs having bodies slidably fitting in the ends ofthe sleeve andhavin-g inner ends spaced from each other, said notches being in theplug bodies and saidk tongues being on the side wall of the sleeve, saidnotches being longitudinally elongated and having longitudinally andlaterally inwardly angled bottoms and having longitudinally andlaterally outwardly angled cam surfaces at their inner ends defininghooks, said `tongues having outer ends connected to the sleeve sidewall,said tongues comprising substantially straight outer end portions andlaterally inwardly and longitudinally angled inner end portions bearingupon the notch bottoms, said inner end portions of the tonguesterminating in laterally outwardly angled terminal ends which bearlaterally outwardly against said cam surfaces, longitudinally outwardpulling of the plugs relative to the Isleeve causing said cam surfacesto cam the terminal ends laterally inwardly and push the tongues intothe notches, pushing of the plugs into the sleeve serving to remove thecam surfaces from the terminal ends of the tongues and enable rotationof the plugs relative to the sleeve to cam the tongues out of thenotches, and resilient stop means secured Within the sleeve with whichthe inner ends of the plug bodies are compressively engaged andprevented from being vagrant- 1y pushed into the sleeve, said stop meansbeing a resilient and compressible ball.

6. A swivel rope connector comprising a cylindrical sleeve having openends, said sleeve having a sidewall having circumferentially spacedlongitudinally extending slots adjacent to its ends, said slots havingouter and inner ends, longitudinally extending spring tongues disposedon said slots and having outer ends fixed to the sleeve at the outerends of the slots, said tongues extending radially inwardly ofthe sleevesidewall at laterally inward angles and having free inner ends, a swivelplug removably and rotatably engaged in the sleeve at each of its e-nds,said plugs having circumferentially spaced longitudinally extendingnotches therein in which said spring tongues are normally engaged, saidplugs having longitudinally outwardly facing hooks at the inner ends ofsaid notches in which the free ends of the tongues engage, and ropeconnecting means on the outer ends of the plugs, said notches -beingV-shaped in cross section and having oppositely angled cam sides, theplugs being rotatable relative to the sleeve to engage cam sides withthe tongues so as to cam the tongues out of the notches and out ofengagement with the hooks to enable withdrawal of the plugs from thesleeve.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 195,400Richard Sept. 18, 1877 807,069 Geoifroy Dec. 12, 1905 1,056,452 RemhiltMar. 18, 1913 1,278,783 Stoner Sept. 10, 1918 1,347,515 Lutz July 27,1920 1,380,244 IOtis May 31, 1921 1,546,523 Walaschek July 21, 19251,599,050 Helfenstein Sept. 7, 1926 1,936,378 Carr Nov. 21, 19332,537,339 Fishbein et al. Jan. 9, 1951

